NHL: Senators' Spezza returns to practice, might play against Penguins

May 13, 2013 10:50 AM

OTTAWA — Fresh off their first-round elimination of the Montreal Canadiens, the Ottawa Senators had a familiar face back on the ice on Sunday.

No. 1 center Jason Spezza practiced with his teammates for the first time since undergoing back surgery for a herniated disk on Feb. 1 and says it was nice to take another step in his recovery.

“It’s been a long process and a long season for me,” Spezza said. “It felt good to join the team again and get some reps in. It may not seem like it and I may not play this year, but for me it’s a small victory.”

Despite speculation that Spezza could be done for the season, the fact the 29-year-old took part in a full practice was encouraging for the Senators, who will face the Pittsburgh Penguins in the second round of the playoffs.

Spezza, who had been skating on his own before joining Ottawa’s AHL callups for more training, says he had some “ups and downs” over the course of his recovery but made improvements over the past few weeks that allowed him to take part in a regular practice.

Whether or not he plays this season depends on how his body reacts.

“I always felt there was going to be a light at the end of the tunnel and when that is I don’t know,” Spezza said. “But I’m going to keep pushing towards getting better so I can try to play.”

The Senators’ top center played in just five games this season, scoring two goals and adding three assists, before the surgery.

Spezza last played on Jan. 27, coincidentally against the Penguins.

It’s unclear whether Spezza will travel to Pittsburgh, but Senators coach Paul MacLean doesn’t seem to have much hope he will play in the first two games of the series.

“He’s a long ways away,” MacLean said after practice.

On Saturday, the coach said he would love to have Spezza in the lineup.

“That’s the important factor for me. ... Jason has to be up to speed to where the team is playing,” MacLean said. “And the treadmill goes pretty fast in the second round of the playoffs.”

Spezza understands MacLean’s thinking and says he doesn’t want to be a hindrance to the team.

“As a player you have to be confident. The only way you’re going to have any success if you come back to play is to be confident. I have to make sure I have confidence in myself that I’m going to help the team,” he said. “The team has played real well and done real good things and the only way that I want to come back is if I feel I can help the team.”

That’s not to say Spezza wouldn’t love to be a part of this second-round series.

“I wish I could play next game,” he said. “It’s all going to be how I respond. I have to push myself. That’s why we’re really going to try to push forward here the next three days and it might tell me it’s not time to play or it might respond real well.

“I’d be lying if I tried to give you a straight answer on when I thought I would play.”

Teammates were thrilled to see Spezza back on the ice and while they are tempering expectations, the Senators know he would bring a significant contribution to the lineup.

“You don’t want to get excited too early, but at the same time if he’s going to come back he’s going to help us a lot,” defenseman Sergei Gonchar said. “Overall he can help us creating offense.”

The Penguins offer a different challenge than the Canadiens, but the Senators feel confident they match up well.

The series has added intrigue considering it was the skate of Pittsburgh’s Matt Cooke that led to defenseman Erik Karlsson missing most of the regular season with a partially severed Achilles tendon.

“Whatever happened, happened and I’m back playing and I’m happy,” Karlsson said. “It’s not something I’m thinking about and I’m sure he’s not thinking about it either.”

Both Karlsson and MacLean say the incident won’t be a distraction for the teams other than creating discussion for the next few days.

“We have to go out and play our best game if we want to beat Pittsburgh,” Karlsson said. “They’ve had an unbelievable season so far and they have a great team and we’ve got to play our best to even have a chance. If we can find some consistency for 60 minutes in all the games we play I think we’ll have a good chance.”